Vandy wins at buzzer over Vols

After Ramar Smith drained a trey with 1:18 remaining to put UT ahead by three,
Ross Neltner scored on a layup 13 seconds later to make it a one-point game.
Derrick Byars then scored on a jumper with 15 seconds left to push VU ahead by
a point.

However, Duke Crews broke free for a dunk with 4.7 ticks left to put
Tennessee ahead by the final margin. On the ensuing possession, Byars missed a
layup just before the buzzer, but Foster followed with the winning bucket, as
the Commodores got away with the intra-state win.

“It was a pretty good game,” Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. “We’re
obviously happy to have won. I guess that’s what rivalry games are all about.
Somebody wins on the last play and tonight we had the last play. We scored,
they scored, and then we scored again.”

Byars posted 25 points and seven rebounds for the Commodores (11-5, 1-1 SEC),
who have won 10 of their last 12 games. However, the team has split its last
four outings, including a heart-breaking 68-65 decision at Auburn in the
team’s SEC opener. Dan Cage notched 15 points and seven boards, while Foster
added 14 points.

Chris Lofton scored 29 points, including 6-of-7 shooting beyond the arc, for
the Volunteers (13-3, 1-1), who had a nine-game winning streak snapped in the
shocker. Smith scored 17 points and Crews added 10 points and six boards.

“This was a difficult game to lose,” Tennessee coach Bruce Pearl said. “It was
a great basketball game. Whoever lost the game, it would have been difficult.
Both teams played hard and really well at times.”

Trailing by 10 midway through the second half, Tennessee went on a 10-2 spurt,
capped by a Smith layup with 9:13 remaining to cut its deficit to three.

The Vols then went on an 11-3 run, ended by a JaJuan Smith trey with 3:53 left
to take a three-point advantage, but they failed to hold it down the stretch.

UT edged a 40-37 lead at halftime.

Game Notes

Alex Gordon had nine points and nine assists for Vandy…This game marked the
170th all-time meeting between these two teams, with Tennessee holding a
104-66 advantage…UT has won 11 of the last 18 meetings in this series,
including a sweep last season…The 35 wins the Vols have amassed at
Vanderbilt (35-49) are more than any other place outside of Knoxville.